JotCast | MLBTR Chat: 9/22/22

MLBTR Chat: 9/22/22

Anthony Franco

4:47

Hey everyone, looking forward to another chat! Going to give the queue a minute here and we'll get started

4:47

Does Franmil Reyes get a major league contract this off-season?

Anthony Franco

4:48

I think the Cubs non-tender him but he does get a lower-base MLB deal. Something like Vogelbach's $1MM deal with Pittsburgh

Angels Fan

4:49

Ive always been confused about the rules for adding players to a roster. Sometimes two people are removed from a roster to open up space for one player. Why? It seems like one DFA or option would be sufficient.

Anthony Franco

4:49

Obviously varies in each case, but typically I think this kind of thing happens when a team needs to create space on both the active roster and the 40-man

4:50

So if Team X wants to select a player's contract, they have to add him to both rosters. They can clear an active roster spot by optioning someone to Triple-A while keeping that player on the 40-man (thus not having to expose them to waivers) and then clear the 40 spot by DFA'ing someone who was already in the minors or on the injured list

Wily Coyote

4:51

What current O’s starters move on for 2023 and what moves does Elias make in the off season?

Anthony Franco

4:52

Probably buy out Lyles' option and let him go, Bruce Zimmermann could get DFA, maybe Spenser Watkins too

4:54

Kremer, Wells, Bradish and Voth should stick around and battle for back-end spots along with some of the prospects who come up (Hall, Gray-Rod, etc.) and external additions. I expect them to add two free agent starters this winter, particularly if they do let Lyles go

Diamondbacks

4:54

How much leeway does Alek Thomas get in 2023? He's fallen to the bottom of the team's LHH OF ranks...

Anthony Franco

4:55

Could always just start him back in Reno. Still think there's some chance they trade Jake McCarthy this winter if the opportunity to add a controllable starting pitcher presents itself too

Guest

4:55

With it looking more and more like the Red Sox won’t be able to retainer Bogaerts, and they’re primed to have their QO compensation take a hit for being CBT payers…why on earth didn’t they trade him to maximize return?

Anthony Franco

4:57

Tried to walk the tightrope of moderate selling at the deadline without throwing in the towel. It didn't work, obviously, but it feels pretty much in line with the Renfroe/JBJ trade and dealing Vázquez while simultaneously acquiring Pham

I think it's totally fair to criticize what they did though. A lot of people were perplexed by it at the time, it's not like this was an unforeseeable outcome

Diamondbacks

4:57

Pavin Smith. He done as an MLBer at this point? Trade candidate?

Anthony Franco

4:58

Yeah I think he's done in Arizona, might just get non-tendered. He'll probably get another opportunity somewhere else but I wouldn't count on him being anything more than an up-and-down depth guy at this point

Twin reality

4:59

Besides Correa and probably Sanchez, who else won't be a Twin next year? Kepler? Polanco?

Anthony Franco

5:00

I'd be surprised if they move on from Polanco, but I could see them dealing Kepler, sure. Sanó's going to be let go, they'll have to upgrade over Bundy at the back of the rotation

RoyalBlue

5:01

In all of these chats--everyone didn't think DM was going to get fired b/c got promoted to POBO last year. What do you think changed? Do you think the Royals bring in someone (if so, who) or do they let Picollo run the show?

Anthony Franco

5:02

Yeah I was really surprised they moved on from Moore, did not see it coming. Thought they might make a managerial change but would've guess Moore had at least another year or two

5:03

From everything John Sherman said yesterday, it feels like it's Picollo's job now. They'll probably bring in a new second-in-command this offseason but Picollo's going to get a crack at running things

MJM

5:03

Your thoughts on new Tiger PoBO Scott Harris. How much roster turnover this winter do you see?

Anthony Franco

5:04

Harris seems like a good hire. Tough to tell with someone who's never run a baseball ops department before, but all accounts I've seen are positive

5:06

As for the latter question, I think it'll be a quieter offseason. It's hard for me to see a way to fix everything in one winter, so taking an evaluative year to let the rotation get healthy and see if Torkelson and Greene can take a step forward makes sense

Yankees just DFA Miguel Andújar

Going to get a headline up, back in a minute

5:08

Sorry about that

HAWK

5:09

What is the Reds 1st pirority this off season

Anthony Franco

5:10

Similar story to the Tigers, I think. Probably use 2023 as an evaluative year, particularly for the young starting pitchers, with an eye towards earnest contention in '24 once Votto and Moustakas come off the books

5:11

I think any additions will be mostly around the margins of the roster, but they'll have to bring in a couple veteran relievers and add some outfield help. Can't run it back relying on Aquino, Friedl and Senzel as often as they have this year

Twin reality

5:12

Rotation of Gray, Mahle, Ryan, and a recovering Maeda and Paddack should have Twins contending in 2023

Anthony Franco

5:12

There's the potential for that but it's another one with serious injury risk

Cubs Fan

5:12

Adrian Sampson, Hayden Wesneski, Keegan Thompson, Justin Steele, Javier Assad…which 3 join Stroman and Hendricks in the ‘23 rotation(assuming no signings/trades)?

Anthony Franco

5:14

Steele, Thompson, Wesneski probably get the first crack (plus an outside addition). Assad has never really been a prospect, Sampson's had a nice season but is a journeyman swing type overall

Guard Dog

5:14

Does Plesac get traded this off-season and what might a respectable return look like?

Anthony Franco

5:16

Yeah I think they deal him but doubt they'll get a whole lot. He's a solid back-of-the-rotation guy but the 2020 excellence looks like a small sample outlier at this point, and the self-inflicted injury history can't help

PuckettBuckett

5:16

Buster Posey HOF?

Anthony Franco

5:16

Easy yes for me

Paiton

5:17

Who you got winning NL East?

Anthony Franco

5:17

I lean Mets just based on the small current edge plus the likely tiebreaker